Coach Le Compte passes away

Coach Sam Le Compte at Sempach, Switzerland

Rowing Australia paid tribute to coach Sam Le Compte, aged 54, who died yesterday after suffering from an asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma.

Originally from New Zealand, Le Compte coached at the national team level in his home country through to 1996, including the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He also competed for New Zealand at the 1978 World Rowing Championships. After a stint as a plumber Le Compte started coaching and became a national team coach in 1990. His first international success came at the 1994 World Rowing Championships when he coached the men’s lightweight double to silver.

His job was then reasessed in 1996 and a year later Le Compte moved to Tasmania, Australia to take up the position of head rowing coach at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport.

Under Le Compte’s guidance rowing flourished especially for lightweight men and at the Sydney Olympics he coached the lightweight men’s four through to a silver medal.

Le Compte greeted by LM4- Athens

He then achieved the same result four years later in Athens. The crew included two Tasmanian rowers, Darren Balmforth and Australia’s team captain Simon Burgess. This was Burgess’s second Olympic crew under Le Compte. Le Compte said at the time he could not watch the race but was very pleased when he heard the result. “In Sydney we lost the gold, in Athens we won the silver.”

Le Compte’s style of coaching will be remembered for allowing his athletes to speak their mind and always be in control both on and off the water. Australia’s media officer, Michael Wilson remembers, “Going out on the water with Sam was always enjoyable. It was always a good row. Rowers know what it is like when it is a bad row and there were no bad rows with Sam.”

Sport and Recreation Tasmania director Liz Jack paid tribute to Le Compte on the Rowing Australia website describing what Sam would have said; “Cripey dick, get over it mate (or girly as the case may be) and make the most of what I left you with. I don’t want my bloody hard work to be all for nothing.”

Le Compte’s death came suddenly just a week after his marriage to fellow-New Zealander Sue in their hometown of Launceston in Tasmania.

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